Costi was struggling desperately, though the giant cockroach and the dragon shark were united and working well together. Facing the relentless attacks from the cultivators, he simply had no options left. It wasn't that the demonic forces were weak—had they been, they wouldn't have managed to launch campaigns across so many worlds since the divine-mortal war some ten thousand years ago. They had already conquered at least a hundred planets. The issue lay solely in the weak teleportation capabilities of the Demon Realm's gate system, which could only serve ordinary demons like the flying cockroaches and dragon sharks. Advanced demons simply couldn't reach them. Among the demon races, the giant cockroaches ranked at the very bottom, while the dragon sharks barely qualified as mid-tier. Lei Feng felt particularly satisfied—he had personally eliminated one dragon shark and several cockroaches, finally releasing the long-buried frustration. "Speed up," he ordered. "Their reinforcements should arrive soon." The inspectors responded promptly, increasing the frequency of their attacks. Qingya was equally excited. She had also dispatched several large cockroaches, and her success undoubtedly owed much to the support of her colleagues—after all, she’s a beauty, and people naturally lend a hand whenever she’s around. Soon, several more large cockroaches tumbled to the ground. While the dragon sharks proved more resilient, their casualty rate was still lower than that of the flying cockroaches. Yet Scott’s heart continued to bleed. Miree had entrusted such a large force to his command, and the casualties would naturally fall to him. With great effort, he swung his long sword, driving off two inspectors who had been surrounding a dragon shark. Huff, huff— the steady crack of sword strikes echoed. He brightened, shouting with a strong voice, "The general has returned! We're going to turn this around!" Lei Feng heard it too, his expression darkening. "Retreat immediately. I'll hold the rear. Don't engage in prolonged combat—move now." As soon as the words fell, the inspectors simultaneously halted their offensive maneuvers—even though a single follow-up strike could have finished off their opponent—then stepped back, their feet planted firmly on the flying swords, scattering in all directions. "You'd better hurry," Qingya had called out before accelerating. "Understood," Lei Feng replied, soaring upward and surveying the scene from above, ensuring all his subordinates had safely evacuated before he himself took off. "Damn Chinese cultivators! You've got the nerve to run!" Mei Li's sharp cry rang out as she stood atop the dragon shark's head, her eyes blazing with anger. The dragon shark had flown nonstop across the Chinese territory at its maximum speed throughout the journey, so now it was beginning to tire. Though still holding on, it was no longer maintaining its previous pace. As a high-ranking magical being, Mei Li was proficient in flight, yet still far behind the dragon shark—let alone the inspectors scattering in all directions. "Li, you rogue! You launched a surprise attack while I was away, and when I returned, you bolted like a coward—do you still consider yourself a man?" she scolded. Had Qin Shao specifically instructed him otherwise, Li Feng would have felt truly embarrassed to have fled so hastily. Even knowing he wasn't her match, he would have returned to fight, to prove himself a man of principle. Yet now, he smiled brightly and said, "Mei, didn't you secretly make your way to the Chinese kingdom, launching a surprise assault on their capital? As for whether I'm a man, you can't decide that—should you wish to discuss it, go find my mistress; she'll tell you the truth. Mei General, you've journeyed all the way here—my apologies, but I must be off to the north." With that, he dashed off. Mei Li was furious. If only she had known this would happen, she wouldn't have rushed back so hastily—instead, she should have completely destroyed the Chinese capital. Yet then she thought again: without her return, how could the other side have possibly agreed to withdraw? Now look at Costi and his group of subordinates—dead or wounded everywhere. Yet Costi himself has only sustained minor injuries. If not for his deliberate effort to stretch his neck, the most prominent wound would have gone unnoticed. "You're a complete fool! Give me an explanation," the beautiful demon mage snapped, furious that he had remained hidden behind, ignoring the fate of his men. He quickly knelt before his lord, bowing repeatedly like a pestle being crushed: "Sir, these cultivators appeared suddenly, catching us off guard. I've been organizing our defenses while fighting them simultaneously, holding the line for so long. Had it not been for your timely arrival, we would have likely suffered a complete defeat." "That's all." The beautiful demon mage raised her eyebrows. "I certainly lead from the front, but the leader of the opposing force is simply too formidable—almost managed to sever my neck with a single stroke." He stretched his neck even further so the master could see more clearly, saying, "I don't mind dying, but my subordinates will be left leaderless. They'll be completely wiped out by the other side in a much shorter time. That's why I've reluctantly retreated to the back, focusing solely on command." Mirel watched him with a slightly unusual gaze, thinking how clearly his intelligence had improved. Seeing the master's anger had lessened, he felt a surge of joy—this time not only would he survive, but he might even go unpunished. What a blessing! "Why didn't you run?" she asked again. Costi spoke with serious determination, "True, cultivators' flight speed is not slow—they can easily keep up with us. Once they begin retreating, they quickly fall into disarray, and isolated troops have little chance of escape. In my opinion, if we all work together, we can surely hold on until the general returns. That's why I proposed..." Mili smiled warmly, "Well said—there's certainly progress. Compared to when you first arrived, you've improved greatly. Warfare depends not only on strength, but most importantly on strategy. I'm truly pleased that you're beginning to think strategically." "Thank you, General, for the kind words. I will strive even harder from now on," the officer said earnestly, clearly relieved and delighted to have escaped unscathed. Yet, Mili shifted her tone, "But you still made a serious mistake: the dragon sharks clearly outpace the large crabs in speed and could safely evacuate first. Why didn't you let them go ahead and organize the flying crabs to defend the rear?" “Well…,” Costi’s forehead was beaded with cold sweat. Indeed, he had overlooked this. He was unmarried himself, so he lowered his head and said, “Please, General, hold me to account.” “Ah, I won’t punish you for this,” the beautiful magical being smiled. The man was delighted. “Thank you so much for not punishing me. I will do my very best to serve you…” Thud. Thud. Thump. Snap. Before he could finish speaking, he was knocked senseless to the ground, gasping, “But the General said she wouldn’t punish me…” “I said I wouldn’t punish you for this,” she paused for a moment, then smiled. “It’s actually for something else. You should feel honored to have taken this beating.” “Then, General, what is it?” “I’ve noticed that you become wiser after you’re hit. So, I’ve come to help you with that.” “Ah.”